


Room(band)mates?

by fabulouscheesypoodle



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Sexual Assault, Everyone Is Gay, Getting to Know Each Other, John is a Good Friend, M/M, Moving In Together, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Poor Brian May, Relationship(s), Sad Brian May, Sharing a Bed, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, dont worry he'll be happy soon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2019-12-26 21:34:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18290675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabulouscheesypoodle/pseuds/fabulouscheesypoodle
Summary: “What is it?” He asked with a quiet voice.“Don’t be too mad that I didn’t tell you earlier but- ““You didn’t have to mention that, now I’m worried.”“Right. Um... so I received a call from the owner last week. He’s hiking up the rent fees by thirty percent.”“What- ““You heard that right. I think we’re in deep trouble. Neither of us have the time to work overtime. You know that right? That means we are going to have to share- ““I’ll work four extra hours every day.”“Shut your stupid mouth Bri. You can’t, you’ll only drive yourself insane. That is not happening!”“Neither am I sharing my room with some stranger from college!”ORThat rent hike=moving in together story no one asked for.





	1. "Guess what? We're getting roommates!"

**Author's Note:**

> Hihiihihi guys!  
> So I had to mess around with everyones ages a bit, technically Freddie should have passed out of college (since Bri is in his final year) but like I wanted them in college together (for plot purposes I guess) Just please bear with me on that! Sorry<3  
> This chapter is like a slight insight into every character in the story.  
> (and thank you to my lovely beta anou for putting up with my horrible writing skills <3)  
> Hope you enjoy!

It was a freezing winter evening. The park was quiet except for the distinct chatter of birds and the few odd cars that passed by. The sky grey,the sun had set quite a bit earlier than usual. A sharp wind blew, cutting through Brian’s coat as he pulled the material closer to his lanky frame. The park was his usual spot to sit and study, the calmness of his surroundings and the little critters that scampered around the place gave him an odd sense of comfort. Even when it was four below zero.

Beside him walked a younger man who was almost a head shorter than Brian. John, Brian's flatmate, had a serene face, with long hair that cascaded down to his shoulders. They had been flatmates for four months  and they both got along very well. Both of them took care of everything at their apartment in the absence of the other, let each other study, helped each other with coursework, barely got shitfaced on working-college days and most importantly, shared a fond and passionate love for music. It was safe to say that  in the short span of four months, they had become best friends.

Brian was a senior. He was finishing his physics course at the college they were studying at and John was a fresher, he’d just begun his engineering course at the college. Both being avid science enthusiasts, they helped each other with their assignments whenever possible.

John pushed the rusted gate and it creaked open. The park was empty. As per the usual, no child was playing there at such a time of the day. The two walked up to their spot in the park, a green metal bench under a lamppost which would most likely freeze their asses off, but they didn’t mind. 

They sat in silence, scrutinizing their notes. It was going to be an important year for Brian, since it was his final year at college, so Brian had been studying overtime and pushing himself to ace all his exams **.** He had bags under his eyes, as no matter how much John tried to convince him to sleep at night, Brian never listened. His room was out of John's jurisdiction. Brian could be severely stubborn at times but thank god John was a patient man. Else their apartment would have been blown up ages ago. 

John hadn’t been doing too great himself for the matter of fact. He had some big news to share with Brian, but he could never find the right time to tell him. He had some projects pending and a whole lot of exams lined up. Basically, they were both majorly fucked.

However, there were some pressing matters at hand that had to be addressed before they came back to bite them in the ass. One evening, when Brian was out at the animal shelter(he worked there), John had received an unsolicited call from the owner of the apartment. 

“The rates have gone up lad. So, we’ll need to hike the rent up by thirty per cent. I know it’ll be hard on you, but I’m sure you’ll figure a way out.”

“Thirty per cent! That’s absolutely ridiculous!”

“I’m sorry lad, nothing much I can do about it.”

John had pressed his gloved hand to his temple. That meant that they’d have to share the flat. He knew for sure that Brian would not be happy about it, and neither would he tell John that he was unhappy. It took a lot of cajoling to make the curly haired man express what he felt. He knew with certainty that Brian would find the idea of sharing his room, his personal bubble (which John was afraid to burst at times), completely mortifying, especially when he had such important things lined up for him.

John was not averse to human contact, he just felt that it had to come from the right person. Like he was fine with the hugs he received from Brian at times of sheer joy, like when they managed to spot a meteor shower that had been predicted by some space agency. Or when they finally managed to sustain a beat without speeding up while playing their beloved instruments.  

“What’s wrong?” A voice interrupted John’s thought.

John shook his head, dark hair bouncing on his shoulders as he did so. His breaths left puffs of mist in the air.

“You’ve been awfully quiet lately.” John managed to stutter, his lips were frozen.

A sad forlorn look cast in Brian’s eyes, and John noticed the tiredness in them. 

“I don’t know Deaky, honestly, everything seems pointless now. It’s a strange cycle- college, animal shelter, books and repeat. Everything is slow and monotonous. I’ve not spent time with you either. Heck, I haven’t spent time with myself. But I push myself, because I feel like its only a matter of one year.” He gave John a sad lopsided smile.

John smiled wearily at the nickname, “You’re an absolute idiot Bri. There’s only so much a person can take before he snaps.”

“I know, but enough is never enough. Well, at least for my parents.” 

John sighed. Brian had so many problems already and his parents were pushing him to the boundaries where he abstained from any sort of sleep or proper eating. No wonder he’d grown so gaunt and frail. 

“You need to slow down. You need to take care of yourself, how are you going to give your exams if you aren’t well enough.”

“Thanks mom got it.” Brian rolled his hazel orbs. 

John swatted Brian’s arm gently. “For real though Brian. You really need to take time out for yourself. You need to figure yourself out too.”

Brian peered into the distance, as if by some means he might find an answer to that statement. John saved him from his predicament by breaking the silence.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you a few things for a while now.”

Brian looked surprised at first and then immediately  guilt burned in the back of his mind, he hadn’t been there for Deaky and grown quite distant. His mind was a slave to his textbooks. 

“What is it?” He asked with a quiet voice.

“Don’t be too mad that I didn’t tell you earlier but- “

“You didn’t have to mention that, now I’m worried.”

“Right. Um... so I received a call from the owner last week. He’s hiking up the rent fees by thirty percent.”

“What- “

“You heard that right. I think we’re in deep trouble. Neither of us have the time to work overtime. You know that right? That means we are going to have to share- “

“I’ll work four extra hours every day.”

“Shut your stupid mouth Bri. You can’t, you’ll only drive yourself insane. That is not happening!”

“Neither am I sharing my room with some stranger from college!”

“Hate to burst your bubble, but you’re going to have to. I could shift in with you into your room and the other two might be able to adjust in mine. But I’d rather you not, because you need to get to know people.”

“Really Deaky! Why?” Thank god Brian was a calm man, otherwise the object nearest to him would have flown in John’s direction

“Because you can’t shut yourself off from everyone! I know you’re anxious around people. I want to help you. I can’t stand the thought of no one being around you when I’m not there.”

“You have no idea what I was before you Deaky. I’m starting to think college is a nightmare I’ve been living.”

“It’s alright. If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll move into your room. Alright?”

Brian thought for a moment and shook his head, curls bouncing as he did so. He felt bad that Deaky was doing so much for him, he ought to adhere to his wishes.

“Maybe you’re right Deaky, I think I’ll try with the stranger in my room for a while. But if it gets too much, I’m throwing the bloke out and getting you in.”

John’s heart warmed at his best friend’s statement. He was glad that Brian was taking some sort of step against his anxiety.

The darkness became imminent and the park began to fog up. The dark clouds rumbled, warning them of the ice storm that was to ensue. The boys packed up their belongings and left the park hurriedly, ‘freezing to death’ not being an option on either of their favoured ways to die.

***

The next morning John was surprised to find Brian in bed. He wondered if he had slept the whole night or not. But what was important was that he was getting some sort of sleep. Maybe their talk had changed him slightly, if not completely.

John prepared tea and set a cup aside for Brian. He had early classes that day. He got ready and set off for college, where he would put up a notice on the notice board asking for potential roommates. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found several similar posters put up though. After all, owners were never nice to their college student tenants.

At home, Brian stirred awake and gaped at the clock. It was half past ten. He was never up so late! He had slept for seven hours! That was not good for his schedule. He had somehow wormed three hours of sleep in his busy schedule and there he was sleeping for seven fucking hours. 

“Great job Brian. You did it.” He spoke aloud to himself. 

His body ached for rest and his mind demanded relaxation. It took all his willpower to get up and walk. He hadn’t felt this worse in ages. He looked at himself in the mirror.

He had an elongated, angular face with a long pointy nose. He had somehow managed to keep his dark shoulder-length curls, despite his parents disapproval. His hair was pushed to a side, making him look like a poodle that had been caught in a tropical cyclone. To be honest, he definitely felt like one. He stared at his reflection in disdain.

Brian was getting late for class. He desperately wanted to skip and sleep, but he wondered what his parents would say if he didn’t have a full attendance record.He didn’t want to find out. 

And so, the day went by. 

Unfortunately it snowed that evening. John and Brian had to cancel their evening outing to the park. They had a quiet time at home instead, studying, of course.

“I put up the notice.” John was getting tired of the silence.

Brian nodded in acknowledgement. Inside he was quaking. What if he hated his new roommate? His already bleak impression of people would go down even more. It was a strange fear that worked him.

John sighed at his silent flatmate and got up to make dinner. He was afraid his push to make Brian interact with people would end up bad. 

“What if I hate him?” came a voice from the living room, who unusually broke the quietness this time.

“You’ll have to think a bit positive you know? Hanging onto the fact that every human is bad will not help you.”

“I’ve never said that Deaky!” exclaimed a very flustered Brian.

“Well then, just hope he’s good.”

“I guess I’ll try.”

***

Roger fussily walked up the hallway. His cheeks were flushed from the cold and his choppy blond hair framed his face in a messy fashion. He had a large coat on, and flecks of snow peppered his hair. He was late for class and being a third-year biology student, he didn’t want miss anything happening in class. If he zoned out for even a second, he would find himself in a muddle the rest of the lesson. In the end, he’d have scribbled odd words here and there in his notes, which would not be helpful during exams. 

Besides being one of the smarter students of his class, Roger was a rather multi-talented person. He could acquire the fancies of any girl or boy he liked in no time, pleasure himself and leave them as fast as he acquired them. Roger was a bit free-spirited that way, which led him to be disliked by quite a many people, but he never seemed to mind or care. 

Other than his massive talent of the art of flirtation and seduction, Roger could drum like he was playing songs of the heavens, but he kept that art between himself and his wonderful singer-roommate, Freddie.

Back to Freddie in a bit.

Roger slumped into the bench at the back of the lecture hall just in time for attendance. Everyone was already seated there, and his grand entrance made him the centre of attention for the students. He earned a few snickers and giggles from the crowd. 

The lecture begun and Roger realised that it was a revision lecture and he’d panicked so much for no reason at all. He let his thoughts wander to a certain problem he had on his mind: rent.

Roger and Freddie had received a call from their owner, who had told them about hiking up the price of their place. Of course, they couldn’t do with the meagre income they received from working at their clothes stall at the market. They’d have to move in with two others or share.

He had the notice in his pocket, he needed to put it up on the notice board. He might as well have left the lecture hall, as it served no purpose to him that day. He sneaked out of the class, trying to be as discreet as possible and walked to the notice board. He looked for a space on the board, when he spotted a similar notice at the far end. 

How convenient. Seemed like luck was in his favour. The apartment had space for two more so he and Freddie could easily move in without having to part from each other, which they were tad bit worried about.

He unpinned the leaflet from the board and folded it and put it in his coat pocket. He’d inform Freddie and call them in the evening. Roger returned to class, finding he had nothing else to do anyway, perhaps he could talk to the pretty girl at the far end of the lecture hall into a quick shag. He was sure she wouldn’t mind.

Freddie was late. As usual. When was he not? The last time he’d been early somewhere was because he thought he had to reach class at 8, so he arrived punctually at 9, only to find out class was at 12. That was dear old Freddie.

He bustled into the small flat Roger and he shared, arms laden with shopping bags full of clothes and art supplies. He was a final-year arts student at college and seemed to be excelling at his work. What helped him immensely was the random bouts of inspiration he garnered from the strangest of places. This too, was helpful in pushing his song writing abilities, sometimes his lyrics would be raw and blatant and sometimes twisted with innuendos and several complexities. 

Like his lyrics, he was a complex personality. Confident and outgoing with people he didn’t know too well, like his classmates. His shy demeanour with his close friends (namely Roger and Mary) tended to surprise one if they happened to (very rarely) see this side of him. 

“Freddie! Did you use all your savings on that?” Roger gazed at the bags.

“Not all my savings dear! I do have quite a bit left!”

“Sure, How much?”

“Good lord how you take it! Fine I used up  _ almost _ all my months savings. What are you going to do about it dear? Not like you require so many types of paints and brushes. Art is expensive.”

“What about those?” Roger stated, pointing to the bags of clothes _. Sparkly clothes _ .

“Well dear those are a necessity, how else am I going to look fabulous.”

Roger shook his head and sighed. Neither was Freddie’s extravagant spending helping them much with their situation. They had been flatmates since the beginning of Roger’s college life, before which Freddie had lived alone for a year. The two had become inseparable since.  The two had been through several financial ups and downs, but the rent hike was bound to be the one that hit them the hardest yet.

“I found something.” Roger waved the notice in Freddie’s face, trying to attract the older man who was trying on a fancy necklace he had brought from his haul.

“What is it dear?” He plucked the paper from Roger’s fingers, in his own, manicured fingers with black nails.“Oh, how very convenient! Hope they’ll be able to tolerate the two of us. We’re a handful ,aren’t we.” He pecked Roger’s cheek with a friendly kiss.

“We haven’t confirmed yet Fred, don’t jump to conclusions. What if we don’t get the place?”

“Don’t be ridiculous dear, the notice was probably put up only yesterday. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there before.”

You could always leave it to Freddie to be observant.

“I’m going to call and check alright? You go freshen up Fred, you look dead tired.”

“Always am.” Freddie smiled cheerfully with his large teeth protruding from his upper jaw, then he skipped into the bathroom. His teeth had been large and beautiful since he was a child, unfortunately, other children had taken this as a reason to tease him mercilessly. He never got his teeth ‘fixed’ because he thought it would affect his angelic voice. And so, the beautiful teeth as well as voice stayed. However, the bullying resulted in him behaving the way he did with people he didn’t know, to hide his insecurities.  _ The Great Pretender _ , he would call himself.

Roger dialed the number on the telephone. It rang a few times before a gruff voice resounded from the other end.

“Hullo.”

“Uh Hello, this is Roger here. You were the one who put up the notice about the rooms?”

“Yep. I’m honestly surprised, I put the notice up just yesterday. Wasn’t expecting any calls till later this week. Anyway, I’m John and I’m glad you have called Roger. We have space for two. Do you happen to have anyone else with you?”

“I actually do, my mate Freddie. I’m a third year Biology student, and Fred is a final-year art student.”

“Excellent. Perhaps you’d like to see the place tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. Thanks mate, G’nite.”

“G’nite mate.”


	2. "Blue-Eyed Trouble"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian takes some rash decisions, Deaky intervenes and tries to help. However, they are interrupted by a familiar duo who are their to-be roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hihihi everyone! Thank you for the comments and kudos, it really motivates me to write more. :)  
> I'm really insecure about this chapter, because I did my research on anxiety related issues and tried my best to write it in those terms, yet I'm not sure how it turned out. And please please please don't be like Bri and take a very bad decision like he does in this chapter.

[Next Morning]

“So, you’re telling me we’ve already got a call? I don’t know whether I should be relieved or make a run for it Deaky!”

“C’mon Bri it’s not going to be bad alright? I’m pretty sure they’re great!”

Brian showed a distant look in his eyes before responding to John, “Deaky… I uh…” he stammered and shut his eyes. His pulse quickened and nostrils flared, like he was having trouble breathing. _Oh no, not one of these again,_ he thought sordidly.

 John rushed to his friend’s side, helping him up from the couch and steadied him, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Brian’s eyes had a wild, unruly look in them, as if he’d been living off caffeine for a while, which he probably had.

“Brian look at me.”

Hazel orbs peered in to the grey-green ones.

“We’re going to freshen you up and get you something _real_ to eat and then I will make a bonfire out of your textbooks if you touch them in the next hour alright?”

Brian didn’t have the energy to fight back. He shook his head tiredly and agreed to John’s proposition.

John ran Brian a nice, hot bath, the water almost scalding. Brian immersed his lanky form into the tub, rinsing his hair ever so lightly and taking his own sweet time in the serene environment of the bathroom.

When he was out, he found clothes which were ironed, folded and neatly placed on his bed. They were a tad bit fancy, something he would have worn if he ever went to a party. It had been over two years since he had gone to a party. He wore the clothes anyway. John had taken the pains to do so much for him and he shouldn’t be a prick about it.

The smell of waffles flooded his senses, it was the first time in days he’d felt hungry. He hurried to the kitchen, not before tugging on the clothes laid out in front of him. Burgundy pants, which were way too tight (that especially concerned him) and a black form- fitting full sleeved top, with little sparkly silver stars on it. He blushed and cringed at the memory of buying the t-shirt –

_“Astrophysics is it?”_

_He nodded._

_“Well then I’ve got just the thing for you!”_

_The blond head bustled into the shop and returned with the piece, a raven- haired salesman right behind._

_“Buy it dear! It’s quite a piece! And it’ll look great with your hair, it’ll accentuate it’s curliness!”_

_John, next to him chuckled, “What a salesman, he’d have anyone eating out of his palm.”_

_“Why thank you, you pretty man!”_

_John blushed._

_“Cut it you two!” the blond turned to him, “Buy it!” He peered into Brian’s eyes with his baby blues that made his pulse quicken. Brian pulled out the lowest note he had in his pocket, fifty pounds and pushed it into the palms of the blond and scurrying away with t-shirt in his hand._

_Later, John scolded him for spending so much on that one shirt, “I mean, he was pretty, but fifty pounds is a lot!”_

_“I’m sorry, there were just so many people, I…uh… kind of freaked out?”_

Brian stopped at the table and seated himself beside John, who had prepared breakfast- waffles and freshly cut fruit.  John placed a waffle on Brian’s plate and a huge portion of fruits, along with a strange concoction in a glass that smelled dangerously like spinach.

“What is this and why?” Brian pushed the glass towards John who glared at him.

“It’s good for you.”

Brian rolled his eyes. The younger man acted like his mother, which brought strange, distant memories to his heart.

 “I know I’ve been shit busy lately and never told you much, yet in such a short period of time- you’ve become very dear to me Deaky. Thank you for helping me out I - “

“Don’t thank me you twat! I’m always there, _we’re_ always there for each other.”

“Right. I’ve had medication for my anxiety since I was 15, but I never seemed to get better. My parents weren’t too happy about it either and they forced to go to places to ‘socialize’.” Brian shuddered, “I hated it so much, I didn’t have anyone there with me at that time. When I got out of that shithole, college seemed almost like solace, where I thought it’d be great alone. It just turned out to be worse. The only things I had were the stars and my guitar. I don’t know what I’d do without you- I’m just glad you’re here now.” Brian hid his face in his hands.

Then it hit John. He almost felt like he’d done the most prick kind of move to force Brian in with a roommate. It would make Brian relive his nightmare.

“No no no… Bri if you don’t want a roommate it’s fine, we’ll figure something out- “

“No John please, I really want to face this. I’ve stopped my medication for a while now, which is why my sleep is fucked up and those attacks happen a bit. But I really want to stand on my own feet and prove that I can get through that shit.”

“Brian I’m not sure stopping your medication is a good idea.”

“I’m tired of it John! I just, just- “

“Brian please, take your medication. It could end up worse!”

Before Brian could reply, the doorbell rang.

“Who’s here so early in the morning- it’s just 8 am!” Brian exclaimed with frustration - the one time he got to speak with John- he was interrupted.

John walked to the front door and peeked through the eyehole – he saw a blond-haired man prancing around and a raven-haired man shaking his head at the blonde’s actions.

“Brian?” John called out.

“Yeah John?”

“I think they’re the people who called earlier. Probably here to have a look at the house.”

John heard the closing and a familiar _click_ of Brian’s bedroom door.

***

“My dear! But those curtains don’t complement the colours of your walls at all! When I move in, I’m going to change that!” Freddie said dramatically, waving at said curtains. Roger rolled his eyes at this and John blushed a lovely crimson.

After the two arrived, Brian had found it apt to lock himself up in the bedroom and left John to deal with their guests. They had settled in the living room, chatting excitedly about college, when Freddie had noticed the hideous yellow curtains that adorned the windows.

Not long after this, John took Roger and Fred around the house- the kitchen, the balcony with a fantastic view of street below, the bathroom and (after carefully avoiding Brian’s room) finally, his own.

It had a queen size bed in the middle and a large window on the side, with another set of mismatched curtains on them. In one corner stood his study table piled with books and a large cupboard with a mirror on the other side of the room. His bass guitar was gently propped on it’s stand in it’s own corner of the room with piles of vinyls surrounding it.

“You play bass!?” Roger exclaimed excitedly.

John blushed and nodded, “Brian and I love jamming- even though it’s only bass and electric guitar-“

“Your flatmate plays the guitar!!” Roger was now bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I play the drums and Freddie sings! _We can literally form a band_!”

Freddie beamed at this idea, but added quickly, “Roger dear, we’re not confirmed moving in as yet, and we barely know-“

“You were the one talking about fixing curtains when we move in. Don’t chide me!”

John chuckled at the two’s bickering, “So if you guys are done, we could decide who wants to shift in where. Brian is in the other room opposite to this one.”

“Why can’t we see his room?” Roger tilted his head and looked at John with his distracting baby blues.

“He uh… he’s sleeping I think.” John was rather a terrible liar.

“Oh. Um how are we supposed to decide?”

Freddie chimed in, “That’s simple dear! When do you have classes John darling?”

“Mostly afternoons.”

“Perfect! Then I move in with John and Roger you with Brian? I have afternoon classes too.”

Roger frowned, “Alright. I guess that’s settled then. At least can I meet my roommate?”

***

Brian did not want to meet his new roommate.

He shuddered at his study table trying to get a hold of himself. A textbook lay on his table, wide open, but he paid no attention to it. A slight, creeping feeling of a cold finger prodded his chest, making his pulse quicken. No no no… he couldn’t have an anxiety attack just then. He clutched the edge of his table keeling over it and breathing laboriously.

 _Breathe_. He heard John’s voice in his head. _Don’t worry, I’m always there Bri, you’ll get through it._

With the thought reiterating in his head, he gradually made his way to the door of his room and as he placed his hand on the knob, he heard peals of laughter from outside. It sounded like they were enjoying just fine without him. He hesitated and slipped away from the door.

 _God, just try._ The voice resonated in his head. His hands itched to reach for the anxiety medication on his desk, but that would be his last resort.

_That’s not a good idea Brian. Please don’t do that to yourself._

Brian ignored the voice in his head and tried to steady his shaking hands.

He glanced at his beloved guitar- ‘The Red Special’ placed on its stand in the corner of the room. Maybe he could play a bit to soothe his nerves, there was nothing that a good guitar solo couldn’t fix.

Brian plugged in the guitar to the amp and fished his sixpence out from his pocket. He started slowly, building up on a succession of notes- some tunes sounding like a thousand twanging instruments and others a simple melody – and when he played, he was lost in his own world of stars, guitars and small furry critters. He played for a few more minutes before deciding that he was calm enough, gracefully ended the solo and placed the guitar gently on its stand.

He turned to face the door.

And there stood the most gorgeous man Brian had ever seen in his life. Soft blonde hair framing his face like an angel’s halo, delicate features with long eyelashes brushing his cheeks. He stretched out his hand-

“Hi, I’m Roger Taylor, your new roommate. And those are some mad guitar skills man!” He added excitedly, blue eyes sparkling.

 _Oh, and his eyes._ If all azure matter on the planet was compressed into a tiny fraction the size of Roger’s eyes, his eyes would still manage to be bluer.

And when Roger smiled at him with his cheeky grin, he felt his pulse quicken – and he knew he was a goner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll see Bri's interactions with Roger and Freddie. With those two troublemakers in the vicinity, we'll never know whats about to go down (^^')  
> And please feel free to point out mistakes: I really don't want to put out wrong information in there.  
> (I just wanted to add, that here, Bri had been prescribed a type of Benzodiazepines, which are the most widely used tranquilizer in anxiety attacks and work almost immediately, within 30 minutes. Which will be important to note for further chapters.)  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. "Moving In"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four of them fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
> 
> John’s imperturbability and Freddie’s feisty spirit; Brian’s inhibition and Roger’s vivacious outward nature. It was a perfect balance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slightly short chapter! (Kind of a filler).  
> Roger is a smol goofy boi.  
> Enjoy!

Brian gave Roger a solid stare for precisely three minutes before a clear voice broke his trance.  
"Roger dear! Where the fuck did you go?"  
A dark-haired man poked his head through the door, "Ah there you are darling!"   
Stunned at the hasty interference, Roger wavered back from the door. He crashed into Brian and they landed haphazardly on the bed.   
Brian lifted his head up to find the blond splayed out over him. He felt blood rush to his face and heard the roar of blood in his ears.   
"Oops." The raven-haired man said, " Should've knocked."  
Roger stirred from his position, giving Brian a wry smile, "Sorry mate, I got kind of surprised by Freddie here."  
" 's alright." Brian craned his neck to look at Roger, who hadn't moved from his position. The younger man gave him a cheeky smile and Brian was sure his heart had exploded judging by the intense hammering of it against his rib-cage.  
What didn't help was that Roger was close, probably a little too close for comfort. Brian shrugged Roger off him. He clutched the side of the bed for support and heaved, his palms felt clammy.

 Roger scrambled to Freddie from his place on the floor.   
If it weren't for John's wonderful sense of timing, one would never know what would have become of Brian. The boy ushered the other two out of the room and settled next to Brian.  
"Breathe."   
John's soothing voice sent a numbing sense of comfort through Brian's skull.  
"Did you have your medicine?"   
"No"  
John got up and plucked the box from the cluttered table. He forced one of the blue pills into Brian's visibly shaking hands.  
"You're not your own doctor you know?"   
Brian mumbled something unintelligible before swallowing the pill dry.  
“What did you say?”

“I was kind of hoping not to meet them like this. I don’t want them knowing anything about… all this.” He motioned his hand towards himself and the box of pills.

“I highly doubt they would have figured it out in a five second encounter with you. But, take your time, maybe get to know them better? Come and join us at the table, we have tea! “

Brian took a shaky breath and gave the younger man a wry smile, “After all of that, you’re advising me to have caffeinated beverages?”

John blinked, “I must say, Brian you are a changed man. Orange juice it is!”

Brian groaned and slumped, “Nooo mom why”

“Oh, piss off. You’re the one who reminded me.”

John got up and held his hand out for Brian, who accepted it graciously. Before leaving the room, he took Brian’s hands into his own and looked at the taller man in the eyes,

“I want you to promise me that you’ll have your medicine without me having to force it down your throat.”

John’s green eyes we’re filled with concern and weariness.

Brian shifted his feet, averting his eyes from John’s piercing gaze.

“Okay. But-“

“No ifs and buts, lets go, your orange juice is waiting.”

**

While John gave Brian pep talk, Freddie and Roger retired to the living room. They spoke in hushed and frantic whispers.

“It’s your fault ! Your dumb ass had to go and scare the living daylights of your to-be roommate!”

“You should’ve listened to what he played! It was magical! You would’ve have gone in too!”

“Do you have any common decency to at least not sneak up on someone like that? People have personal spaces!”

Roger snorted, “You’re the one talking!”

“I’m affectionate- yes, only to the one’s I know well.”

Roger looked like he was going to throw one of his tantrums.

Once again, thank the heavens for John’s impeccable sense of timing.

When Brian’s door opened, Roger’s shoulder’s slumped and he unclenched his fists. It dissipated any idea that he would have been throwing items at Freddie’s head before that. Freddie’s disapproving look became a soft smile once he saw the two men walking out of the room.

“You must be Brian, sorry about that hasty introduction.” He elbowed Roger in the ribs.

“Ouch! Yeah Brian, I… I’m sorry!” His lips quirked up into a shy smile and a blush creeped up his cheeks.

Brian waved his hands dismissively,” I told you it’s alright,”

“I’m Freddie, by the way. Pleasure to meet you darling!” He gave Brian a gentle smile, making sure his teeth weren’t seen.

Brian nodded, “Nice to meet you too!”

John clasped his hands together, “Alright! If we’re finished up with our introductions, how about discussing some matters over tea?”

“Tea? I don’t want tea now!” Roger whined.

Freddie shot Roger a withering look, “Tea is a wonderful idea darling!”

“Roger, we have orange juice, if you like.” John suggested.

Roger shrugged, “I mean, vodka would be better-“

“He’ll have orange juice! Don’t worry!” Freddie interjected.

**

The four of them fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

John’s imperturbability and Freddie’s feisty spirit; Brian’s inhibition and Roger’s vivacious outward nature. It was a perfect balance.

They chatted over orange juice and tea. Freddie, whilst indulging in a mouthful of biscuits let out a strangled gasp-

“You’re the one who bought that shirt!” Freddie waggled his finger towards where Brian was seated.

Brian’s eyes widened; _it was them?_

At this Roger giggled uncontrollably, “Freddie and I went out partying that night with that extra money! Thanks mate.”

“I…I was-“

“He was in a hurry!” John interceded and Brian sighed.

Freddie shot a questioning look in their direction, “I suppose, but do remember to take the change darling. God knows where you might find it handy.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“Oh no Brian, the teasing won’t end here.” Roger laughed and patted Brian’s hand over the table. This left Brian sputtering, of course.

Freddie and Roger left after a while. They had decided that they’d better start packing and moving furniture as soon as possible to facilitate the tedious process of moving in.

John had offered to help the two, and to his surprise, Brian was ready to lend a hand too.

**

“Roger, what did you do?!”

“Freddie move your fucking foot!”

“Move the box you arse!”

“How ‘bout you move your foot instead!”

“Why the fuck are you so desperate to get into the house first?! Is it because of ‘ _legs_ ’?” Freddie made air quotes as he mouthed the last word.

“Oh, shut up Fred! It is not because of ‘ _legs_ ’!” Roger was shouting now, but pink dusted his cheeks **.**

John was standing and watching them fight for the eighth time that day. It had been two days since their last encounter at his- no, _their_ flat. He watched Freddie kicking things around and making way for himself through the clutter at their doorway. Roger had tried to move in a cardboard box at the same time Freddie was at the threshold, which caused the outbreak of their argument, which John was witnessing.

John had found both the men to be very endearing. Not only were they nice chaps but also, they liked music, which was definitely a bonus. He was happy that Brian had taken to them more easily than he thought he would. Plus, John had been very watchful on Brian after the whole medication fiasco- making sure he took them on time.

All the while John was having these thoughts, he hadn’t realised he’d been staring at Freddie for much too long. Which of course, the older boy seemed to notice and he gave John a playful flying kiss.

John felt blood rush into his ears.

“Do you need some help F-Freddie?”

“You know you can call me Fred right darling? Just like how I’m going to call you Deaky.”

John blinked. That was a nickname only a few people he knew called him, that included Bri-

“Oh, don’t look so shocked dear, your curly-haired roommate called you Deaky in front of us the other day.”

“You’re very observant.”

Freddie’s smile became a bit confused, “Why thank you darling, not many tell me that.”

Before John could ask why, Freddie tactfully interrupted him, “Why Deaky, be a darling and help me place those boxes in our room!”

And in a flurry of sparkly clothes, he scampered towards said room, John in close pursuit with stacks of boxes in his hands.

Meanwhile, Roger had been trying to wrestle a rather large box through the door. The width of the box being much too large for the door-frame.

“Seriously Fred? At least help me out!”

“I’m no Fred, but I could help you out.”

_Brian_.

He turned around to look at the owner of the wonderfully soothing voice. Brian stood there, cheeks and nose, touched by the cold were reddening. He’d just returned from college. Flecks of snow dotted his hair, white starkly contrasting with his chocolate curls.

Brian gave him a nervous smile.

“Just turn it this way,” he titled the box carefully and slid it in through the door-frame with much ease. He backed away from the box, the same expression plastered over his face.

Roger mentally slapped himself, _of course he could have done that._

“Thanks mate.”

Brian helped Roger with the rest of the boxes. They worked silently, but tirelessly. Even Roger, who would never shy away from conversation, found himself too shy to talk to the curly-haired guitarist.

By the time they were done, the sun had set and the gentle yellow light of the living room was casting eerie shadows on the walls. Rogers cheeks were rosy from exertion and despite the cold, his forehead was sweaty.

“Holy shit! It’s seven already!” Brian exclaimed suddenly, which made Roger jump. And without another word to Roger, he rushed to their room and shut the door with a frantic gesture.

Roger looked in confusion at the door, brows furrowed.

“He didn’t study the whole evening. He’s definitely not having dinner today.” John stood next to Roger. It was like he had materialised from nowhere.

“Why?”

“He gets worked up if he doesn’t finish his assignments and studies on time.”

“Oh.”

At dinner, Roger couldn’t stop glancing at the bedroom door, hoping the curly-haired guitarist would sit with them at the dinner table.

Freddie and John were chatting quietly. It seemed as though Freddie was recounting an incident which involved cats, glitter and an angry neighbour. Roger had heard the story so many times-

“….and she was like get the hell out of here! So, I packed my bags, which were dusted with glittery pawprints and moved into a shared apartment Mary suggested. And-“

“- that is how I met the arsehole Roger Taylor.”

“Yes, Roger dear, you’re remembering, wonderful! How did you and your roommate meet John darling?”

The youngest man blinked a few times at the suddenness of the question, “Uh… I’m still in my first year, so I met Brian only a few months back.”

Freddie nodded, listening intently.

“My parents live in here only, but I didn’t want to stay with them. So, I found that Brian was living alone, and we became flatmates.”

“Oh, I’ve been in a boarding school most of my childhood. I haven’t seen my parents that much, and I still don’t- college work and all you know.” Freddie stated.

They finished the rest of their meal in silence. John collected the plates and offered to do the dishes. Freddie went into his new room to change into his nightclothes.

Roger made his way to the kitchen, took a clean plate and neatly laid out food on the plate. John looked at him pointedly and shook his head.

“He’s not going to accept the food, let him be for now.”

“But-“

“I’ve seen him for the past few months, there’s really nothing you can do about it.” John said blankly and left the kitchen, to prepare for bed.

Roger stood in the kitchen, contemplating the weight of John's words. 

Roger Taylor was never one to back down from a challenge. He was going to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses on what John is feeling right now? He's a bit curt here, isn't he?  
> We will see the execution of Rog's plan along with a small bomb in the next chapter!  
> Thank you for reading lovies!  
> xx


	4. Chaos™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deaky and Freddie spend some time together, John finds himself stuck somewhere he'd never intended to be.  
> Whereas Brian and Roger are still walking on eggshells around each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Sorry for the delay! I've shifted to an new country itself and uni is going to begin soon. AaaaaaaaH I'm freaking out.  
> Anyways, enjoy this chapter! <3  
> Xx

“Just open the door, will you?”  
Roger heard mumbling from the other side of the door.  
“Open the door! I stay in the room too!”  
There was a silent moment, like Brian was hesitating to open the door. Then there was a creak and the sound of the lock clicking open.  
Roger quietly opened the door and looked around the room. They’d spent the entire evening sorting things out, yet three boxes were stacked near the door frame. He’d have to get back to sorting it those out too.  
He saw Brian hunched over his study table, scribbling frantically into his notebook with a pencil. A large textbook lay in front of him.  
Roger edged up to him and placed the plate on the table. Brian glanced at the plate and shook his head.  
“I’m not eating.”  
“Why?”  
“Not hungry, besides can’t waste time.”  
“I’m sorry but how the fuck is eating food wasting time?”

Brian stared at Roger as if he'd grown an extra head. He'd never had anyone speak to him so upfront when he was being hard-headed. Most people would say "fuck it" and then leave him alone.

"Just let me be."

Roger would have to approach this more systematically, maybe prod at something Brian would be sensitive about. 

"So, do I throw this part away?" Roger said thoughtfully.

"No! Don't waste it!-"

"Okay then eat it!"

"-I'll feed it to some strays later in the night. I don't want to eat now, just leave the food on the table or something." Brian ushered Roger away from his side of the room.

Roger blinked, perhaps that didn't go the way he planned, "Suits yourself mate, not going to ask you again." It took all his willpower to not taunt the older man, he was rather angry himself.

His battle wasn't lost, he just got knocked down once. He would try again. He didn't understand what drew him to the curly-haired guitarist or what was so intriguing about him.  

He shot an irritated glance at Brian, who was engrossed in a lengthy dissertation on black holes and other cosmic bodies and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him for good measure.

**

"Darling just move it a bit to the side will you! Lovely!"

Having replaced the dreadful flowery curtains that hung over the windows, Freddie had John moving items around the room to make it look more stylish and elegant.

They'd decided- instead of dividing the room into two parts, they'd utilise the entire room efficiently for their things. Freddie's easel was placed delicately near the windowsill- his favourite thinking spot and John's study table was placed near the window too. This left ample space for their cupboards and other belongings to fit on the other side of the room, near the door.

Freddie had arranged several incense sticks and candles on his bedside table, along with a tiny photo frame containing a picture of a little girl, whom John assumed was his sister. John had placed an alarm clock and a small reading light on his side, with a picture of his family.

Yeah they'd made their room a nice, cozy place. Freddie had changed up the old ratty sheets with a new set and fluffed up the pillows. Most importantly, he'd changed the curtains from their hideous colours to a nice calm chocolate brown.

"See dear, much better," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. 

Freddie was giving instructions to John on how to make his study a lot more prettier, whilst sketching something in his book, whilst lying on the bed.

They'd done a solid 3 hours of work and had talked extensively after dinner. 

John found out that Freddie was born in Zanzibar and his family had been driven out of their home because they practiced Zoroastrian faith. Freddie had become awfully quiet after mentioning this to John. Perhaps he'd shared more than he wanted to with him. It was understandable. 

John was a fairly easy person to talk to, one would find that they'd told their entire life story to the man and he'd patiently listened all the way through. 

"John will you be a dear and come have a look at this?"

"Alright just a moment." John put down the heavy calculus textbooks on the table and made his way to the older man.

Freddie gently held up his sketchbook for John to see. It was a design for an outfit which looked outrageously beautiful. It seemed to be a two piece outfit consisting of a boat necked t shirt and straight fit pants. The entire thing had a yellow and green paisley print on it. 

It was definitely something John wouldn't wear. But he thought Freddie would definitely pull it off. Heck, if Freddie wore a paper bag he'd look great.

John blushed at the thought.

"Darling do I need to add anything? It seems to be missing...some sort of...you know, flair?"

"Uh..." John was caught off guard, "You'd look great even in a pa- I mean p-poncho! Yes a poncho would look great!"

"You mean a poncho over this outfit?"

"Ye...yes?" John said nervously.

"Splendid! I love it!" Freddie squealed in delight as he sketched roughly in his book.

John breathed out a sigh of relief. He didn't know anything about this subject, not even enough to advise Freddie.

"Done!"

John peered into the book and his breath was taken away. 

"Freddie it's beautiful!"

Freddie had added a Chinese collared poncho type garment over the other pieces of clothing. It had the same paisley design on it. It looked fantastic.

Freddie blushed at the praise, "Well John, thank you for thinking so highly of my design! And for your help, I now appoint thee to be the model for this piece of mine!" 

 _Well, fuck_.  

**

"What the hell is this?"

"Border. Across this is my area, only enter with my permission. The side near the door is yours because you leave the room often."

"Is this because I tried to give you dinner last night?! Really?"

"No I thought it would be systematic."

"It's just fucking childish oh gosh Brian!"

Roger looked at the red tape which divided the room into two equal halves and the army of pillows agressively placed through the centre of the bed , parting it into neat fractions.

"Ok so what if you need to pee and I don't let you come to my side of the room?"

Brian stopped and thought carefully, as if he'd never considered the prospect .

"Uh..."

"I told you it's stupid!"

"Just do your work I'll think of an arrangement."

Roger took his notes out from his backpack and dumped them on his table with a loud thud.

Brian shot an annoyed took at the blonde. His, eyebrows furrowed. Roger found the look cute, but dismissed his feelings. He couldn't go through another heartbreak like he had with Tim.

Tim was a great guy. Roger and him had everything, they'd been together for almost six months. 

Roger had once, truly loved him with all his heart. 

Tim had to shift away as he got a better opportunity in a different college somewhere else. 

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but with no quick means of communication- their spark fizzled out.

One day Roger had decided to pay Tim a surprise visit.

Unfortunately to find him in his apartment with someone else was heartbreaking. He'd left the place teary-eyed, slamming the door shut into the cold night, when a hand caught his arm and pulled him backwards.

"Roger..."

"Tim?" Roger tried to keep his voice stern, but it had wavered.

"I'm sorry. I have no excuses. I wanted to tell you sooner."

"How long has it been?"

"...a week."

"Oh" Roger felt much too numb to say anything.

"I'm so sorry. It's a new place and I couldn't-"

"Tim it's fine. But we're not together anymore."

"Yeah. We're very young, the idea of settling down scares me."

"Oh." Roger had rather liked the idea before Tim had said this.

"I don't want to hold you back and I don't want to be held back. It's a huge world, there are so many people!" Tim had said with a distant look on his face.

"Perhaps..." Roger wiped the tears away from his eyes. They'd hugged and parted ways.

He'd not seen Tim after that.

Roger had seen things differently since then. He'd never got emotionally attached to his one-night stands or people in general after that. And yes, this had led him to have a reputation of sleeping with almost everyone in college.

When Freddie came into the picture, he'd become the only person he'd trust his life with. They'd moved in together into the apartment he was supposed to share with Tim. They partied together, cried together, laze around together. They were inseparable.

"Earth to Roger, do you copy?" Brian said for the sixth time.

"What!?" 

"Why  are staring at me!?"

"I'm not staring at you! I was lost in thought mate!" Roger's cheeks were tinted pink.

At this Brian's expression softened, "Okay."

They studied in silence. 

After half an hour, Brian felt something prodding at his back. 

He turned hastily and found Roger poking him with a steel scale. Roger had assumed Brian wouldn't respond to him ,his hand fumbled and he cut Brian's cheek with the scale .

"Fuck!"

"Fuck indeed!"

Roger scrambled to the Brian's side of the room.

"Stay out! I didn't give you permission!" Brian cupped his cheek, which had begun to bleed profusely now.

"I'm sorry it was an accident! Let me help you, I know basic first aid!"

"Uh fine. As long as you don't cut me again."

Roger made his way to the other side of the room and removed Brian's hand from his face.

"Where do you keep your kit?"

"Left bottom drawer."

"Bottom left you mean."

"It doesn't matter, I'm in a mangled state right now."

"Is that drama I see honey?"

"Don't call me that!"

"What honey?"

"Shut up!"

Roger grinned. He loved troubling the older man.

Brian was breathing rapidly now, cheeks flushed and forehead sweaty.

Why did he have such an annoying roommate?

Though he found Roger quite endearing, he couldn't help but get annoyed by the other man's presence. Like he was a reminder of his lack of freedom. 

Roger was happy go lucky, he wasn't forced by his parents into studying biology. Yes, Brian loved Astrophysics but perhaps he wanted to do music as well. His father was averse to this idea of getting into the music industry.

_"These are distractions Brian. Focus on what's important, you can play as a hobby - nothing more."_

"Sit still will you!" Brian found Roger's blue orbs very close to his own. From this angle he could see every pore, every freckle on Roger's face. Brian closed his eyes and tried to control his heart thumping.

"There you go! It's not a deep cut. I'm sorry about that mate!"

"What were you trying to so anyway?"

"I wanted to ask you permission to the side of your room to look out of the window."Roger made puppy dog eyes at the taller man. 

The hammering of Brian's heart against his ribcage slowed down as Roger got up from his spot in front of Brian. Brian placed his hand on the table to steady himself, knocking down a few things in the process.

This included a pouch, which hid his pills effectively from anyone looking at his table.

He watched in horror as it fell onto the floor, into _Roger's side of the room_.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deacury is coming along well, however Maylor are the definition of chaos and ~drama~ is bound to happen if they're involved.  
> Brian is /somewhat/ comfortable with Roger's presence, but not fully trusting of him.  
> I personally didn't like this chapter much, I wrote it in a but of a hurry- but please tell me if there are mistakes!  
> Also Freddie's sketch was insipired by one of his actu designs which I saw somewhere on Instagram.  
> Also if you have anything to ask, I'm there on Instagram- @fabulouscheesypoodle drop by :)  
> Thanks lovies!  
> ××

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Kudos and comments mean the world to me! <3


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